The American Bullnese should have the appearance of an active, muscular dog of heavy bone and should imply courage and boldness. It should be built low to the ground and long in the body. The head should be large and square. The stop should be well-defined, causing a hollow or groove between the eyes. The muscles of the cheeks should be well developed. The flews should be thick and broad, hanging over the lower jaw. The eyes should be round in form and of moderately large size. The neck should be thick with loose skin at the throat. The ears should soft like velvet with a soft fold. Erect ears are a fault. The body should be heavy in front; chest is broad, deep and full. Well-sprung ribs, broad at the shoulders and narrowing at the loin. The forelegs should be short, stout and slightly bowed and muscular. The hind legs should be firm and well-shaped. Legs which are too long are a fault. The tail should be slightly curled (sickle-like). Screw tails are disqualifying. Any colors are acceptable. The coat should be thick, soft, dense and short. Long coats are disqualifying.

Temperament

The American Bullnese was developed to combine certain features that were admired in a few different breeds of dogs. The American Bullnese has stumpy legs and an elongated body which is responsible for the breed’s adorable, hopping run. The American Bullnese also possesses a unique, happy and clownish temperament, which is accompanied by a large head and chest with a thick upper body. The combination and refinement of these features created an outstanding dog that is regarded as one of the most adorable and revered house pets in the world. Like all dogs, this breed needs a firm, confident consistent pack leader. Do not allow the dog to develop Small Dog Syndrome—human induced behaviors where the dog believes he is pack leader to humans.

The American Bullnese is good for apartment life. It is relatively inactive indoors and will do okay without a yard.

Exercise

American Bullneses are strong dogs with short, straight legs. They enjoy energetic games and will keep in better health if given regular exercise. This breed should be taken on
daily walks.

Life Expectancy

10-15 years

Grooming

The smooth, shorthaired coat is easy to groom. Brush and comb with a firm bristle brush and shampoo only when necessary. The creases on the face must be cleaned regularly.

Origin

Being a fan of short-nosed dogs and the bull breeds, Robert E. Rice of Jacksonville, Florida, found himself admiring a few characteristics of several different breeds. Unsatisfied with the current selection of any “one” of the existing breeds, Mr. Rice decided to establish a breed of dog that exhibited all the features he had admired in several of the other existing breeds. The American Bullnese has proven to breed true for multiple generations over the last 20 years. The American Bullnese is a combination of 5 different breeds, only two of which are the French Bulldog and the Pekingese.

Somewhere along the line hybrid breeders started crossing the French Bulldog with the Pekingese and the litters were registered with the American Canine Hybrid Club as American Bullnese starting in 2006, making the American Bullnese name officially recognized as that cross. Today there are several hybrid clubs still recognizing the American Bullnese name as a simple cross of two purebred dogs and other breeders have been breeding and registering them as such. Please visit American Bullnese Hybrid for details on the crossbreed.

The following was submitted by the American Bullnese Association, which is the association started by Mr. Rice:

"The breeding program started by Robert Rice of Jacksonville, FL, in 1989 depended heavily upon pedigree research as line breeding was a technique used to increase consistency in the litters. By selectively breeding dogs with outgoing, happy, and confident temperaments, combined with the desired physical features, Mr. Rice was successful in developing the American Bullnese. Mr. Rice is still extending his pedigrees along with many others who have obtained dogs from this foundation stock and are continuing to develop the breed in its pure state. Many wild guesses have surfaced as to the real genetic makeup of the American Bullnese. We just want to point out that the American Bulldog was not used in the development of the American Bullnese and it is not just a simple cross of two different breeds of dogs. The American Bullnese actually is a blend of five "5" different breeds of dogs."

An adorable female American Bullnese—her owner says, "She is my adorable baby girl. She can be very friendly with people she knows."

Photo courtesy of the American Bullnese Association

Photo courtesy of the American Bullnese Association

Puppy photo courtesy of the American Bullnese Association

"This is my American Bullnese puppy Ramsay at just over 6 months old. Because of his amazing temperament we have found the kind of dog for us. He is a great dog. He is not much of a barker. He will only bark if he is unsure of something (like a trash can) the first time he sees it. He was extremely easy to housetrain and was pretty much trained after the first few weeks we got him. He is a very lazy dog but will have a short spurt of playful energy that will last about 5-10 minutes and then it is back to relaxing. He loves other animals and loves to chase anything that moves. He gets a short walk each day and is on the low-energy side. He absolutely needs to be kept cool. Since he has such a short muzzle, he gets overheated very easily. Ramsay also loves to sing and play with his treats. Ramsay was born to Miles and Cali by the breeder Lisa Simmons in NC. He is recognized by the American Bullnese Association."